


Heartbeat

by shipskicksandgiggles



Series: Midnight Milkshakes [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Car Accident mention, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:02:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25947778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipskicksandgiggles/pseuds/shipskicksandgiggles
Summary: there is nothing for beautiful than life, nor sadder than death. stories reflect our realities and our memories.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Series: Midnight Milkshakes [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635325
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> hi I forgot I wrote this and posted it on tumblr like a month ago so here

Harley Keener didn’t sleep. And everyone noticed. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just never seemed to be able to. He kept himself awake on minimal amounts of sleep and obscene amounts of coffee. He was fine.

The times he did sleep though, were stranger. He would fall asleep on anyone who held him almost instantly.

Tony was the most common victim. As the Father Figure™, he cuddled his kids whenever they needed it. Harley fell asleep on him during most movie nights.

Nat was second. She would read on the couch in the common area and Harley, despite being larger than her, was perfectly comfortable in her arms as she read. If anyone was loud or almost woke him up, the assassin would absolutely murder glare them into soft apologies.

Sometimes, Bucky couldn’t sleep either. They found eachother once in the middle of the night, and if anyone saw the super soldier holding onto the kid like his life depended on it, no one said a word. 

Even Peter noticed after they started dating. One quiet night in, he brought it up. “This is the only time you sleep isn’t it?”

Harley nodded. 

“Why?” It wasn’t malicious. It wasn’t judgement. It was full of soft concern and curiosity.

He sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“I have all night.”

Harley sat criss cross applesauce on the couch. “When I was a kid, before-“ he hesitated, “-before my dad died-“

Peter knew his dad was a touchy subject at best. At worst, well, it could be a long night. He held Harley’s hand  
  


“Before he died, he would read to me at night. Lord of the Rings, Watership Down, the classics, that sort of thing. Every night he was there, he read me stories that made me feel safe, like I wasn’t in the Bible Belt. Like I could never die. And as he read, I would lay in his chest and listen. To both the story and his heartbeat. He made me feel safe, and I would fall asleep to his heartbeat.” He wiped tears from his eyes. “After the crash, I never felt safe. My mom wouldn’t touch me. Abby was always her favorite. I think she secretly wished that I had been in the car instead. Sleeping was hard when I knew about death.”

Peter got up and found a box of tissues on a side table. He handed them to Harley.

”Listening to someone’s heartbeat reminds me that they’re okay. They’re alive. Still with me. The beat still makes me feel safer, even when he’s technically gone.”

It was quite for a long time. Finally, Peter spoke. “I know we can’t replace your dad, but all of us have your back, Harley. We’re all actively trying to not die just so we can save the world and save more lives.”

Harley laughed, but it sounded broken. Just then, Tony walked in with Nat, complaining about something. He noticed Harley crying.

“Harley, if I’m gonna have to beat the shit out of Peter-“

Nat was ready to attack. “Who hurt you?”

“No one Nat. We’re just talking.”

“So what’s making you cry?”

Harley smiled and looked at Peter. “Heartbeats.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr is still playboyphilantho-pissed I’m too lazy to find the hyperlink I have saved


End file.
